The Mayo Clinic explains that triglycerides store unused calories and provide energy to the body, while cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones. Both of these imbalances cause cardiovascular problems.

In the case of triglycerides, nutritionist Carmen Rosa Guillén explains that triglycerides accumulate due to excess, especially when the food is high in calories, such as junk food and food that includes a lot of fat, sugar, and flour, and these excesses accumulate in the form of fat.

It should not be above 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). It is considered high when it is between 200 and 499 mg/dl and very high when it is over 500 mg/dl.

These lipids in high levels contribute to hardening of the arteries, as well as thickening of the arterial walls (atherosclerosis), which influences the increased risk of suffering a stroke, as well as heart disease or having a heart attack. It has also been associated with pancreatitis.

The Mayo Clinic website also says that high levels are a sign of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, thyroid problems, and other conditions. Some medications have been reported to cause levels to rise.

In addition, this condition causes the blood to thicken and instead of looking like hibiscus, it looks like jelly, Guillén explains more graphically.

Iris Cotto, a nutritionist at the Center for Food and Nutrition Advice CEAAN, of Usac, explains that this accumulation can be due to eating too much sugar and fat of vegetable origin. In the case of sugar, when it is too much, the body cannot process it and transforms it into fat, which ends up becoming adipose tissue but circulates in the blood in the form of triglycerides.

Cotto also says that the fact that the blood is thicker also makes circulation slower than it could be. This means that all the nutrients and oxygen arrive more slowly and cause dizziness, and tingling in the legs, among other issues.

Experts say that to reduce them, it is important to focus on healthy habits, including sleeping better and learning to manage stress. Here we share more ideas on this subject:

More healthy food

Control your consumption of junk food and prefer more natural foods and meals. At the same time, watch your portions of vegetable fats, such as margarine, oils, and others.

Increase your fiber intake. This is found in beans and flaxseed, vegetables, and fruit, especially those that are eaten with their skin.

Cotto comments that during the pandemic, sugar levels have increased and this causes triglycerides to rise.

Look for different cooking methods. Sometimes people limit themselves to fried options. If you have doubts about how to eat better, it is advisable to seek the help of specialists.

Yes to Omega-3

The Spanish Heart Foundation explains that it is important to choose monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, and those in which omega-3 fatty acids predominate, which are found in sardines, salmon, walnuts, and canola oil.

The first observations on the heart-healthy effect of omega-3 were made in the Eskimo population of Greenland, whose diet is based on fish, marine mammals, and fish oil, and is therefore very rich in omega-3, the website says.

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases in this population was much lower than in other places with less fish consumption.

An exercise routine

Include more movement in your daily life. A minimum of 30 minutes a day focused on yourself and having time to do yoga, tai chi, walks, outdoor activities, or other options that allow you to feel healthy.

Taking medications

Depending on the triglyceride levels, it is possible to control them only with diet. When they are too high, some doctors will recommend taking medication for a certain period to lower them.

Be careful with alcohol

In general, alcoholic beverages are high in calories and sugar and affect triglycerides. Be careful with the amount you consume.=

Watch out for your health

It is also essential to improve weight in cases of obesity or overweight, as well as to keep diabetes under control.